KUALA LUMPUR (Chatnewstv.com) — Ships engaged in illicit oil transfers off Malaysia’s coast are increasingly manipulating their tracking data to avoid detection, highlighting what experts say is an urgent need for better monitoring tools.
According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, more than 50 “shadow fleet” tankers spoof their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals every month in Malaysia’s outer port limits, a key hub for ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian crude bound for China.
“This ship-to-ship issue has become a thorn in our side,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan said earlier this month. He acknowledged the challenge of policing waters outside the country’s 12-nautical mile territorial limit, where jurisdiction often falls to flag states.
Spoofing involves falsifying AIS data to disguise a vessel’s true location. Maritime intelligence analysts say patterns such as stationary ships appearing to move in perfect circles or straight-line “box” routes can reveal deceptive activity.
Bridget Diakun, a senior risk and compliance analyst, said some ships spoof for only hours while others can maintain false positions for weeks. She cited the case of the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Lafit (IMO: 9379698), which spoofed its location near the Singapore Strait for nearly three weeks. “The AIS data for Lafit was entirely fabricated,” Diakun said.
Malaysia has pledged to introduce new rules to curb the practice, but details remain unclear. In the meantime, companies and regulators are turning to advanced analytics for enforcement.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence says its SeaOrbis platform now combines rule-based systems with machine learning to detect spoofing, relying on granular AIS signals that reveal “physically impossible” movements or sudden anomalies.
For sanctions compliance officers, the stakes are global. “AIS spoofing off Malaysia’s coast is not just a local enforcement issue, it’s a global compliance concern,” Diakun said. “With sanctions scrutiny intensifying, organizations must ensure their maritime intelligence is built on data they can trust.”
